USA TODAY Travel asked ZRankings, which uses a unique mix of hard data and expert opinions that paint a full picture of the 20 top ski resorts in North America, to create custom resort ratings. At No. 20 is Solitude Mountain Resort, with a Pure Awesomeness Factor (USAT-PAF) score of 80.7. With the glitz of Park City and the well-known credentials of Alta and Snowbird, Solitude Mountain Resort can get a little lost in the fray when it comes to Utah ski resorts. But it shouldn’t be. Like these other resorts, Solitude boasts easy access from a major international airport. Unlike the aforementioned group, however, Solitude’s slopes can be quite sparse, even on weekends, allowing the resort to live up to its moniker. Deer Valley, the new owner of Solitude, just upgraded the resort’s uppermost lift, the Summit Express, which will make getting to the nooks of Honeycomb Canyon even easier. Often, those nooks are full of powder, as Utah’s Big Cottonwood Canyon is one of the best places for snow on the planet — ranking Solitude No. 7 in North America for snow. For more information: zrankings.com/resort/show?id=147-solitude-mountain-resort

Taos

Revelstoke

Crested Butte

Copper Mountain

Squaw Valley

Big Sky

Deer Valley

Breckenridge

Winter Park

Beaver Creek

Steamboat

Alta

In Vail, CO

Snowbird

Telluride

Jackson Hole Mountain Resort

Whistler-Blackcomb

Aspen Snowmass

Park City Mountain Resort

01/20

USA TODAY Travel asked ZRankings, which uses a unique mix of hard data and expert opinions that paint a full picture of the 20 top ski resorts in North America, to create custom resort ratings. At No. 20 is Solitude Mountain Resort, with a Pure Awesomeness Factor (USAT-PAF) score of 80.7. With the glitz of Park City and the well-known credentials of Alta and Snowbird, Solitude Mountain Resort can get a little lost in the fray when it comes to Utah ski resorts. But it shouldn’t be. Like these other resorts, Solitude boasts easy access from a major international airport. Unlike the aforementioned group, however, Solitude’s slopes can be quite sparse, even on weekends, allowing the resort to live up to its moniker. Deer Valley, the new owner of Solitude, just upgraded the resort’s uppermost lift, the Summit Express, which will make getting to the nooks of Honeycomb Canyon even easier. Often, those nooks are full of powder, as Utah’s Big Cottonwood Canyon is one of the best places for snow on the planet — ranking Solitude No. 7 in North America for snow. For more information: zrankings.com/resort/show?id=147-solitude-mountain-resort

02/20

Taos

03/20

Revelstoke

04/20

Crested Butte

05/20

Copper Mountain

06/20

Squaw Valley

07/20

Big Sky

08/20

Deer Valley

09/20

Breckenridge

10/20

Winter Park

11/20

Beaver Creek

12/20

Steamboat

13/20

Alta

14/20

In Vail, CO

15/20

Snowbird

16/20

Telluride

17/20

Jackson Hole Mountain Resort

18/20

Whistler-Blackcomb

19/20

Aspen Snowmass

20/20

Park City Mountain Resort

Snow and cold blew into the Rockies a month ago and have been squatting ever since, making the start to this ski season the strongest in years. The Northeast, too, has logged good amounts of snow during the early season, setting New England up for a long ski winter.

The entire spine of the continental divide, from Colorado up through Canada, has seen multiple winter storms pack slopes with enough snow that many resorts, including Breckenridge and Keystone, opened early. Full ski resort openings by Christmas, for which most resorts had anemic amounts of terrain open last year, are within sight.

This season’s holiday ski trips will be far more enjoyable on the slopes out West compared with last year. Skiers looking for good snow in the West can hardly go wrong, as storms have been strong across central Colorado, Utah, California and Wyoming.

Colorado is led by Breckenridge, Vail and Steamboat. Vail’s Blue Sky Basin, part of its back bowl terrain, opened during the first week of December – the earliest opening since 2002. Vail has netted 90 inches of snow since the season began. Breckenridge has been buried in 118 inches of snow since the start of the season, cloaking its alpine reaches in white.

In Wyoming, Jackson Hole has collected 114 inches of snow and already has stretches of steep upper terrain open. Snowbird and Alta, on the Salt Lake side of the Wasatch in Utah, have come alive after a slower start compared with other states, with 110 inches of snow having fallen in just a few weeks.

Those who have been weighing purchases of the Ikon or Epic pass can feel good about the prospects for both this early season. The Ikon Pass has Colorado covered, as big snow totals have draped the trees at Steamboat, Winter Park and Snowmass.

Similarly, Vail, Breckenridge, Beaver Creek and Keystone have all racked up gaudy snow totals for holders of the Epic Pass. And in southwest Colorado, Telluride, to which full Epic Pass holders now have access, had a banner end to November, receiving 20 inches of snow in four days.

"Storms during November and early December dropped significant snow on many western ski areas, and now most mountains in California, Utah and Colorado are more than 50 percent open, which is unusual for the first week of December,” says Joel Gratz, the founding meteorologist at OpenSnow, which makes snowfall forecasts for most ski hills across the continent.

While California had been in the midst of a well-publicized drought, it recently received a storm that dropped 3 feet across much of the Sierra, priming the slopes at Squaw Valley, Northstar and Mammoth for a big December.

In Canada, Whistler Blackcomb has continued its string of strong early seasons, with lots of terrain already open and more snow in the forecast. The Canadian Rockies have welcomed a hearty start to winter as well, with a World Cup race at Lake Louise.

Nearly as important as the snow across much of the West have been the temperatures: steadily cold for nearly a month across Colorado. This preserves the snow that has fallen, and allows resort snow-making operations to blow as much as is required to build up high-traffic areas that could use an extra layer for April skiing.

In the east, Vermont has had a snappy start to the winter, with Stowe catching more than 60 inches of snow before November ended, opening up pieces of the mountain that wait until January in some seasons.

With the full onset of winter so early, ski resorts will likely be busier at the holidays than they have been in years.

Further driving numbers to the slopes: More people likely hold multi-resort ski passes for this winter than any previous season, thanks to the season pass battle playing out between Vail Resorts and Alterra Mountain Co. Every marquee destination ski resort across North America is covered in some fashion by either Vail’s Epic Pass or Alterra’s Ikon Pass, creating market conditions the industry hasn’t seen before.

With that in mind, skiers should hasten to lock down lodging and travel for a holiday ski season in which conditions are shaping up to be excellent.

Whistler Blackcomb, North America's largest ski resort

The now-iconic Inukshuk statue atop Whistler Mountain is a modern take on an Inuit navigation marker and was created for the 210 Winter Olympic Games held here.

Adjacent and interconnected, Whistler and Blackcomb mountains form the single largest and most-visited ski resort in North America, with a very large and well-planned resort village between them.

With well over 200 trails plus bowls and chutes and glades, there is terrain for every ability here, including plenty of groomers.

Both Whistler and Blackcomb have extensive European-style high alpine terrain, with lost of bowls, chutes and glaciers.

An instructor shows how to ski the high alpine terrain near the peak of Whistler.

The open bowls of Whistler allow skiers to pick their own lines and degrees of difficulty from an amazingly large skiable area.

The above-treeline high alpine zones at Whistler Blackcomb are vast and impressive, but they represent just the top third of each mountain, with lots more skiing below the treeline.

Infamous Sudan Couloir on Blackcomb is one of the steepest trails in skiing, a double black diamond chute that top skiers come from around the world to attempt. It hosts a race each year.

There is also plenty of groomed “corduroy” for beginners and intermediates.

You don’t usually have to wait long for snow at Whistler Blackcomb – this was the opening day of the 2017-2018 ski season.

When storms cross the Pacific Northwest, Whistler Blackcomb can get huge dumps. Last season was one of the best in recent memory.

Whistler Blackcomb has more than 30 lifts, including five enclosed gondolas like this one.

Most heli-skiing operations are weeklong trips in remote wilderness lodges, but Whistler Blackcomb is one of the few resorts that operates on-site heli-skiing, with access to another 430,000-plus acres, so guests can try it for just a single day.

There are several high-alpine glaciers at Whistler Blackcomb that can hold snow year-round and are popular for summer training for pro skiers and riders. This is Hortsman Glacier on the front of Blackcomb Mountain.

The Ski Callaghan Nordic Center was built for the 2010 Olympics and offers classic and skate skiing and snowshoeing for all abilities, and is one of the only places in North America offering public biathlon.

Because it hosted the 2010 Winter Olympic Games, Whistler is one of just three places in North America offering public bobsled rides.

Fresh powder on a perfect bluebird day at Whistler/Blackcomb.

There are 17 on-mountain bars and restaurants across the slopes of Whistler and Blackcomb. Shown here is the Glacier Creek Lodge at the base of the Glacier Express, one of the must-ride chairs at Blackcomb.

One of the iconic on-mountain snacks is the decadent waffles at the Crystal Hut on Blackcomb Mountain.

One of the biggest appeals of Whistler Blackcomb is its large pedestrianized, family-friendly resort village.

The après scene in Whistler Village is huge, but one of the oldest and most popular hotspots is Dubh Linn Gate, an Irish pub right at the base of the slopes on the edge of the village.

A top dining and drinking party spot, Sushi Village is the single most famous eatery in Whistler Blackcomb.

The Bearfoot Bistro has long been the top fine dining spot in Whistler Blackcomb and is considered one of the great meals in all of skiing. The restaurant recently added an ice bar vodka experience as well.

Nightlife is big in Whistler Village, with lots of bars, restaurants and shops, all easily accessed on foot.

Dog-sledding is one of the most popular nonskiing activities at Whistler, in the nearby Callaghan Valley.

The Fairmont Chateau Whistler is one of the top hotels here, with a ski-in/ski-out location.

The heated pool complex at the Four Seasons, Whistler Blackcomb’s top luxury hotel, is a very popular spot for après ski.

A few minutes outside the village, the Nita Lake Lodge attracts skiers who want a more intimate and secluded experience and has long been one of the top choices at Whistler Blackcomb. It is also a very popular dinner spot.

The unique Scandinave Spa is a large complex of outdoor hot and cold pools, saunas, steam rooms and a massage center that is a very popular destination activity in its own right, minutes from Whistler Village.

Off the mountains, Whistler Blackcomb has an endless variety of entertainment options, from dog sledding to biathlon to caving. One of the newly popular offbeat diversions is ax-throwing.

The Audain Museum opened in 2016 to showcase the art of British Columbia and is one of the few top ski town art museums. This is a display of First Nation masks.

Creekside Village is a smaller self-contained base area, separate from Whistler’s main village, and has some of the most affordable ski-in/ski-out lodging at the resort, as well as its own gondola for easy access.

There are three ski-in/ski-out hotels in Creekside Village now operated by Vail Resorts. This is Evolution.

There are three ski-in/ski-out hotels in Creekside Village now operated by Vail Resorts. This is the First Tracks Lodge.

There are three ski-in/ski-out hotels in Creekside Village now operated by Vail Resorts. This is Legends.

The Peak 2 Peak gondola connects Whistler and Blackcomb mountains. When it opened, it was the largest unsupported single-span gondola on Earth.

Whistler Blackcomb is the most-visited resort in North America and is extremely popular with snowboarders as well as skiers.

Whistler and Blackcomb offer the largest array of terrain of any resort in North America, including plenty of steeps.

Whistler Blackcomb gets a lot of big snowfalls, which means a lot of powder days.

With two huge mountains next to each other, there is always skiing within view at Whistler Blackcomb.

01/41

The now-iconic Inukshuk statue atop Whistler Mountain is a modern take on an Inuit navigation marker and was created for the 210 Winter Olympic Games held here.

02/41

Adjacent and interconnected, Whistler and Blackcomb mountains form the single largest and most-visited ski resort in North America, with a very large and well-planned resort village between them.

03/41

With well over 200 trails plus bowls and chutes and glades, there is terrain for every ability here, including plenty of groomers.

04/41

Both Whistler and Blackcomb have extensive European-style high alpine terrain, with lost of bowls, chutes and glaciers.

05/41

An instructor shows how to ski the high alpine terrain near the peak of Whistler.

06/41

The open bowls of Whistler allow skiers to pick their own lines and degrees of difficulty from an amazingly large skiable area.

07/41

The above-treeline high alpine zones at Whistler Blackcomb are vast and impressive, but they represent just the top third of each mountain, with lots more skiing below the treeline.

08/41

Infamous Sudan Couloir on Blackcomb is one of the steepest trails in skiing, a double black diamond chute that top skiers come from around the world to attempt. It hosts a race each year.

09/41

There is also plenty of groomed “corduroy” for beginners and intermediates.

10/41

You don’t usually have to wait long for snow at Whistler Blackcomb – this was the opening day of the 2017-2018 ski season.

11/41

When storms cross the Pacific Northwest, Whistler Blackcomb can get huge dumps. Last season was one of the best in recent memory.

12/41

Whistler Blackcomb has more than 30 lifts, including five enclosed gondolas like this one.

13/41

Most heli-skiing operations are weeklong trips in remote wilderness lodges, but Whistler Blackcomb is one of the few resorts that operates on-site heli-skiing, with access to another 430,000-plus acres, so guests can try it for just a single day.

14/41

There are several high-alpine glaciers at Whistler Blackcomb that can hold snow year-round and are popular for summer training for pro skiers and riders. This is Hortsman Glacier on the front of Blackcomb Mountain.

15/41

The Ski Callaghan Nordic Center was built for the 2010 Olympics and offers classic and skate skiing and snowshoeing for all abilities, and is one of the only places in North America offering public biathlon.

16/41

Because it hosted the 2010 Winter Olympic Games, Whistler is one of just three places in North America offering public bobsled rides.

17/41

Fresh powder on a perfect bluebird day at Whistler/Blackcomb.

18/41

There are 17 on-mountain bars and restaurants across the slopes of Whistler and Blackcomb. Shown here is the Glacier Creek Lodge at the base of the Glacier Express, one of the must-ride chairs at Blackcomb.

19/41

One of the iconic on-mountain snacks is the decadent waffles at the Crystal Hut on Blackcomb Mountain.

20/41

One of the biggest appeals of Whistler Blackcomb is its large pedestrianized, family-friendly resort village.

21/41

The après scene in Whistler Village is huge, but one of the oldest and most popular hotspots is Dubh Linn Gate, an Irish pub right at the base of the slopes on the edge of the village.

22/41

A top dining and drinking party spot, Sushi Village is the single most famous eatery in Whistler Blackcomb.

23/41

The Bearfoot Bistro has long been the top fine dining spot in Whistler Blackcomb and is considered one of the great meals in all of skiing. The restaurant recently added an ice bar vodka experience as well.

24/41

Nightlife is big in Whistler Village, with lots of bars, restaurants and shops, all easily accessed on foot.

25/41

Dog-sledding is one of the most popular nonskiing activities at Whistler, in the nearby Callaghan Valley.

26/41

The Fairmont Chateau Whistler is one of the top hotels here, with a ski-in/ski-out location.

27/41

The heated pool complex at the Four Seasons, Whistler Blackcomb’s top luxury hotel, is a very popular spot for après ski.

28/41

A few minutes outside the village, the Nita Lake Lodge attracts skiers who want a more intimate and secluded experience and has long been one of the top choices at Whistler Blackcomb. It is also a very popular dinner spot.

29/41

The unique Scandinave Spa is a large complex of outdoor hot and cold pools, saunas, steam rooms and a massage center that is a very popular destination activity in its own right, minutes from Whistler Village.

30/41

Off the mountains, Whistler Blackcomb has an endless variety of entertainment options, from dog sledding to biathlon to caving. One of the newly popular offbeat diversions is ax-throwing.

31/41

The Audain Museum opened in 2016 to showcase the art of British Columbia and is one of the few top ski town art museums. This is a display of First Nation masks.

32/41

Creekside Village is a smaller self-contained base area, separate from Whistler’s main village, and has some of the most affordable ski-in/ski-out lodging at the resort, as well as its own gondola for easy access.

33/41

There are three ski-in/ski-out hotels in Creekside Village now operated by Vail Resorts. This is Evolution.

34/41

There are three ski-in/ski-out hotels in Creekside Village now operated by Vail Resorts. This is the First Tracks Lodge.

35/41

There are three ski-in/ski-out hotels in Creekside Village now operated by Vail Resorts. This is Legends.

36/41

The Peak 2 Peak gondola connects Whistler and Blackcomb mountains. When it opened, it was the largest unsupported single-span gondola on Earth.